City of night
by AestheticAristocrat
Summary: I wrote this thinking of it as the 4th book, but it may not contain any of the old characters or plotlines. Ashlyn stravagates to the world of Talia and finds a place where she can escape from her old life and for the first time, learn to trust others.
1. Chapter 1

Ashlyn cursed as the doors to the train slammed shut, cutting off her escape route and almost her nose in the process. She spun round, searching for another possible exit through the throng of people and trying to take note of her pursuers positions at the same time. She now began to feel slightly nervous as well as highly pissed off, the adrenaline pumping faster through her veins; threatening to cause her to lose herself to panic.

This situation wasn't her fault; well not overall…she supposed this outcome might have had just a little to do with her…and her temper.

_**FLASHBACK**_

It was her first day at the new school. Never a pleasant experience but one she was well used to, and she marched up the entrance steps defiantly as though daring them to judge her already. Though she knew it was only a matter of time till that started to happen. Not the steps of course but the other students-they just never seemed to take a real liking to her. Not that she put any effort into changing their opinions of her, she knew she would be out of this town probably before anyone even had the chance to memorize her name. She loved her mother to bits but in Ashlyn's opinion she really was an idiot. A completely hopeless case when it came to men, always falling for someone so easily and always before she'd had a chance to find out what they were truly like. There was only one thing men wanted and it made Ashlyn sick to her stomach. They were all the same and almost a hopeless a case as her mother who was far too nice for her own good.

Every time this happened her mother would fall into a state of depression and at some point during her self induced misery she would decide on the best course of action, which was of course to pack up everything they owned and speed them off as quickly as possible to a new town, all the time muttering about a fresh start how it would be better the next time round, and always how she would never do this to her self again. Ashlyn would usually just stare out the window and sigh, not bothering with pointless protests which were sure to only make her mother feel worse. She was sure to never make any strong bonds of friendship anyway and any kind of relationship was out of the question. It wasn't that she hated the entire male species; she just refused to have any kind of relationship with them that went past just friends. They could be fun to hang out with sure, but the few times one of her 'friends' had tried to cross that line they were brutally rebuffed, sometimes with force if they didn't get the message the first time.

Anyway, here she was entering the doors to this new hellhole, not an optimistic view she knew but much safer than trying to convince herself that it would be alright – it was never alright. Some times may be worse than others but the majority of the time she knew would be spend trying to get from boring hour to the next, that or ignoring the rude comments her classmates would pass back and forth between themselves. Whatever she could take what she was given and dish out plenty more. The idea of this new challenge made her smile slightly as she headed for the reception desk to get her timetable.

The receptionist smiled kindly as she greeted the new student and Ashlyn found herself smiling back simply because she could already feel herself falling into the routine. She would no doubt be seeing plenty more of the receptionist and probably not under such good terms thanks to her 'malicious ways and unhelpful attitude' as one headmaster had once put it. She had later emptied his car tyres of air and luckily that had been the day before her mother had decided it was time to move on again.

The first day had progressed as any other first day; the finger pointing, the whispered comments, the rumours, getting steadily worse throughout the day and taking on a more malevolent tone as though they could sense the uncooperative aura surrounding her. A few students would be brave enough to try and make friends and Ashlyn would react as politely as she could, not wanting to put them under any misapprehension that she needed their kindness in the slightest.

After classes had finished and she had handed in her form that all of her teachers had had to sign, it was the turn of some of the tougher kids to investigate the new girl. These were usually the ones she either befriended for the short period of her stay, or instantly made enemies of. She wondered which one it would be this time as the kids in question appeared in front of her as she exited the school, breathing a short lived sigh of relief.

"So your '_Ashlyn_'?" the tallest one of the bunch asked, a slight sneer in his voice as he spoke her name and she inquired of the cause,

"You have a problem with my name?" Ashlyn growled back causing the tallest one to snicker in a most unpleasant way. He had black hair that he had turned into a mass of spikes atop his head, wore an anorak (okay so it was probably some kind of designer label costing a few hundred pounds but that didn't make it look less like an anorak to her) and baggy jeans that he apparently thought looked good in their precarious position looking as though they were about slide the rest of his bum to tangle at his feet. They were already half way there.

She amused myself with the image of the collapsing pants as he proceeded to look her up and down, drawling something about not knowing what all the fuss was about; there was nothing interesting about the new student. She eventually rolled her eyes getting bored with the current topic of conversation: herself. However uninteresting he thought her to be he was sure finding plenty to talk about.

"Well, this has been a fascinating chat," she intervened with a sigh, "but unfortunately I gotta go" she made to step pass them but found myself being blocked off again,

"You sure you don't wanna stick around? I'm sure we could think of something more _fun_ to do" the same boy spoke again, leaning closer to whisper the last part in Ashlyn's ear. She flinched back in disgust.

"I don't think you really need any extra assistance in removing your trousers" she stated calmly glancing at the clothing in question which she was sure had slipped another inch or so, "and what kind of fun could you possibly provide me with that's more interesting than my geometry homework." Ok so that homework was never going to get done if it was up to her but that wasn't really the point here and his refusal to move was starting to make her angry. The use of the long words seemed to puzzle him and Ashlyn wondered if he even knew what geometry was. His mask of sweetness started to fade and he leaned closer once more, this time trying to intimidate,

"Don't cross me bitch," he snarled quietly. She wondered if he'd managed to figure out what she'd said yet.

"She already getting you worked up Theo?" One of the boys teased and the others grinned. _Theo_ just got angrier. Ashlyn didn't try to stop the smirk that formed on her face,

"'_Theo_'?" she asked with amusement, raising her eyebrows and using the same tone that he had used for her name. "That's short for Theodore isn't it?" She couldn't hide the laughter in her voice and Theodore was obviously working himself up into a rage, it would soon be time to leg it to the train station, she just hoped her train hadn't been and gone yet. His _friends_ obviously found the question amusing as well, all grinning stupidly as though this was the first time they'd noticed this. Then again maybe it was.

"Shut up!" he yelled –rather stupidly in her opinion- to his cronies although they seemed to get the message and wiped their faces clean of any trace of humour. She took advantage of the fact he was facing the other direction, and just ran for it. She could hear them shouting after her to get back there and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the idiocy, '_as if I'm actually going to go back there'_ she thought to herself as she continued to run.

She hadn't really expected them to follow her but apparently she had really pissed off what appeared to be the leader of the pack and they were all chasing after her even as the clouds got darker announcing that they would soon be attempting to drown anyone who dared to set a foot outside.

Dashing into the train station Ashlyn only just remember to get onto the right platform, although it didn't do her any good. The doors to her train slid shut barely an inch from her. She banged once on the door in irritation causing one of the passengers to laugh at her and another to shoot her a look of disapproval. She whirled back round ready to find another means of escape.

_**END FLASHBACK**_

So there it was another brilliant first day. It must have been a record for Ashlyn to make enemies _that_ quickly. She smiled wryly at the bad humour before darting into one of the tiny shops that covered on side of the platform. Luckily they didn't seem to have noticed where she went and she started to calm down only to see them making their way towards her chosen hiding place. She was about to dash out and hope they wouldn't notice her but thought better of it and headed deeper into the store.

It looked like some sort of antique store and although Ashlyn did wonder what it was doing in a train station that didn't seem as important as the group of idiots who were hunting her down. In desperation she shot down behind the counter earning her a startled look from the old man who sat behind it but she gave him a pleading look as she heard her hunters coming closer.

The old man seemed to understand after glancing up for a second or two and went back to the book he was reading. It looked old and dusty and she found herself wondering what he found so interesting about it.

"Hey!" Theodore said rudely to the old man, causing him to look up but not offer a reply. "You seen a girl bout seventeen with green eyes, brown hair and an attitude come in here?" he demanded. She fought to control laughter at the last part and instead gazed imploringly at the man although he wasn't looking at her, which was probably a good thing and just prayed to a god she didn't believe in that he wouldn't give her away.

"No one of that description has entered this shop. You will agree you have no further business here" The old man replied in a voice that didn't seem to suit his apparent age. Ashlyn could sense the threat behind his words so she presumed the others could to, and sure enough they were soon trudging out of the shop and muttering about the old man in an offensive manner, though his face didn't show that he had even heard them. "I think it's safe for you now" he said looking at her for the second time, a slight twinkle in his eye. Feeling grateful was kind of a rare experience for Ashlyn but she was feeling it now and she hoped he could see it in her face.

She stood up carefully after a cautionary glance around to ensure they really had left, and made her way around to the other side of the counter before speaking to him.

"Err, thanks" She said awkwardly, this wasn't something she was familiar with, he laughed slightly and she looked up challengingly feeling that he was laughing at what she said.

"It was my pleasure," he said sounding truthful, and she felt her anger at being laughed at evaporate as quickly as it had surfaced. "So what did you do to piss them off?" he asked kindly, shocking her at the same time with his use of the crude language, which certainly didn't match his warm tone. She found that she liked the guy, so quickly told him of the events which had led up to her crouching behind his counter hiding from some obviously unsavoury characters.

He agreed with her opinion of Theodore and his friend's whole heartedly, even adding a few comments of his own which caused her to giggle and warm to him even more. After a while he suggested she take a look around his store and although it really didn't look all that interesting she felt it was the least she could do. After a couple of minutes he recommended she take a look at the books bringing her attention back to the one he had been reading.

He had left the book closed on the desk and as he noticed Ashlyn looking at it the twinkle returned to his eye.

"This one in particular is a fine read. A great work of fiction and splendidly written, telling the tale of a world full of magic yet in a way very similar to ours. I myself have read it many times, it offers a certain escape from the torments of this reality shall we say" He told her and Ashlyn found herself intrigued by what he had said but also slightly confused. He laughed at her expression, but this time she kept her anger in check, knowing that he meant no harm. "If you wish I could give you this copy free. I myself have read it so many times and it was practically falling apart when I myself acquired but the story is still there." Though the book now had Ashlyn's attention she couldn't take the book from him for free, it didn't seem right, after telling him so he laughed again and came up with a compromise. "Very well, if you would care to grace my store with her presence again and relieve me of a few hours otherwise spend in boredom, could you consider that payment enough?"

Ashlyn was slightly surprised at his insistence that she take the book, but figured that if he really wanted her to have it there was no point in not taking it in exchange for visiting the shop again. Besides she liked the old guy, maybe she could make a friend here after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Ok so the old guy was serious when he said it was falling apart. After getting home and pulling the book out of her bag the entire cover had fallen off and a few loose pages had fluttered to the floor. She bit her lip and just hoped he wasn't going to decide to ask for it back.

Ashlyn wasn't a great reader; not the type to lock herself in her room with piles and piles of books anyway, but she did enjoy it sometimes. She carefully slipped the pages back into their places and wrapped the cover around the bundle, hoping that it was in the same state when she was given it.

"Ashlyn! Dinner!" her mother yelled from downstairs, causing Ashlyn to sigh a huff of annoyance; she'd just got comfortable and was about to start reading.

"Coming!" she called back, hoping the annoyance wasn't too obvious in her voice as her mother would no doubt think it was her fault and stress of having to move again. Ashlyn didn't fancy another one of her mother's sob sessions, dutifully hopping off the bed and crossing the landing, trying to fix a false smile onto her face as she went.

*

Ashlyn flung herself onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow and screaming out all of the emotion she could no longer keep inside. How could her mother do this to her? And so soon as well. Dinner had been going fine, apart from her mother shifting uncomfortably in her chair, obviously wanting to say something.

"Just spit it out mom," Ashlyn had finally sighed, pinning her mother with a very parental type stare. After a few mutterings and sentences spoken too fast to hear, Ashlyn had finally deduced that her mother found her true love…again, some guy at her new job who had asked her out to dinner the following evening. It took all the control she had to just nod and say 'ok', finish off her meal and walk as quickly as she dared up to her room.

The situation really was ridiculous, but even if that were true it wouldn't change anything. She wasn't sure she could take this anymore. Throwing herself off the bed and then glancing around for the closest object, she threw the book at the wall and proceeded to have a silent tantrum against her bed. She managed to calm herself after a couple of minutes and turned herself around to lean against the bed, breathing heavily. She pushed the hair back from her forehead and swallowed hard. She was going to have to come up with a more productive means of siphoning off her anger. Sighing again she stood and quickly spread out her duvet which had become a tangled mess, and plopped herself down on it.

At this point she noticed the book, lying at the foot of the wall opposite and looking hopelessly broken and battered. Her heart swelled in sympathy and the next second she found herself hugging the book to her chest, apologizing over and over in head. She froze when she realized what she was doing and raised an eyebrow at herself. She glared at the book suspiciously for a couple of seconds then sighed for what must have been the fiftieth time that day and collected the stray pages that had made a bid for freedom. _'Well, it was gift from a friend' _she figured.

She lay down, far too tired to start reading tonight, falling asleep almost immediately. The book slipped from her grasp, the pages fluttering to the floor, all except one, which hung loosely in her grasp until she unconsciously scrunched her hand around it and rolled over frowning.

The page seemed to flap slightly, although there was no breeze in the room and Ashlyn slept on, her dreams leading her to places she longed to go, and unaware that although her physical body hadn't seemed to move, she was no longer in her room. She wasn't even in her own country and she stirred as the wind picked up and page threatened to fly out of her grasp. She clutched it tighter and started to shiver, in her dream a shadow began to approach her as she lay, unable to move on the ground but not yet afraid. The person? For she could not yet see them clearly, knelt beside her, hand reaching out to grasp the wrist of the hand holding the paper. A smile was suddenly etched into the persons features as they saw the number 1 printed at the bottom of the page, and they pulled their hood down to reveal flowing black hair, pointed ears and eyes that seemed to gleam in the near darkness.

"Welcome my dear," they said softly, voice low yet clear and Ashlyn could almost feel the power behind it as she gazed up still feeling frozen, "To Talia" the creature said, beginning to lean forward and Ashlyn felt her pulse begin to speed up, willing herself to be able to move so she could scream. She closed her eyes as she almost willed herself to black out so she wouldn't have to endure this any longer. She felt something almost like a needle enter her neck and she felt the pain, almost immediately followed by an intense feeling of drowsiness as her vision began to black out.

The creature smiled slightly as the girl went limp entering a state that would keep her in an almost unconscious condition but not allow her to black out completely. Hoisting her up he began to run with a speed that was definitely inhuman, and Ashlyn would occasionally come back to herself long enough to feel the wind as it whipped at her hair. The creature had taken the paper from her hand and tucked it into one of the folds of the robe he wore. The thing smiled again as they thought about what this girl's appearance would mean. Mainly that things were going to be much more interesting for a while, maybe they'd get to have some real fun for a change. Gripping his load tighter he sped up, mouth still smirking and wondering if he would have to inject the girl again any time soon. Not that he was complaining but it was kind of difficult to just bite the girl without taking a drink.

**Ok, so here's chapter two, hope you liked it, not very long but I'm getting to the real story now. Again, I'm not sure if I'm going to use the old characters or plotlines, but if you really want to see them making a comeback let me know.**

**I'm not too sure about the plotline yet so if you have any ideas for it please tell me.**

**So yeah, kinda looks like there's gonna be vampires in this one huh,**

**Please review! Even if it's just a smiley face ********, or a sad one of course.**


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